A nourishing and elegant dessert with a touch of floral magic

Discovered on a Rainy Afternoon

I discovered this recipe on a rainy afternoon while looking after a neighbour’s dog. Wandering through their bookshelves, I randomly picked up Diana Henry’s How to Eat a Peach—and once I opened it, I couldn’t put it down for hours.

This was the first dish I made from Diana Henry’s beautiful book. Its simplicity, paired with its undeniable crowd-pleasing charm, has kept me coming back to it again and again.

The Magic of Hibiscus

There’s something truly magical about cooking with hibiscus petals. Known for their anti-inflammatory properties, high antioxidant content, and richness in vitamin C, hibiscus is also said to aid digestion and soothe the heart. It makes this dessert feel as nourishing as it is luxurious.

Despite being on the healthier side, these hibiscus-poached pears feel indulgent to both make and serve. As they simmer, the hibiscus infusion fills the house with the most enchanting aroma. When brought to the table, the pears glisten like jewels on a plate – glossy, vibrant, and utterly captivating.

A friend once described them as a “biblical fruit,” and I’ve never forgotten it. The beauty in the way they shine under candlelight, their purple-stained flesh flickering like something ancient and precious. A simple dessert, suddenly made sacred.

Letting the Flavour Deepen

Poaching pears is a tradition that dates back to ancient European kitchens, where fruit was gently simmered in wine or syrup to enhance its natural sweetness. In this version, hibiscus takes the place of wine, adding an earthy tang and a subtle citrusy sharpness that pairs beautifully with the delicate flavour of the pears. The result is a lovely balance of tartness and sweetness—bright, floral, and deeply satisfying.

While this dessert can certainly be enjoyed warm on the day you poach the pears, I prefer to let them rest in their infusion for 24 to 48 hours. The longer they steep, the deeper the purple hue becomes, and the more they absorb the vibrant, tangy essence of the hibiscus syrup.

One of my favourite moments comes when slicing into the pears at the table—watching as the knife reveals how deeply the ruby hue has travelled through the tender flesh. There’s a quiet pleasure in comparing shades with the person next to you, a small, shared moment of curiosity and beauty.

A Dessert Made for Sharing

In the recipe below, I’ve swapped soft brown sugar for coconut sugar to keep things refined sugar-free and more autoimmune-friendly. I’ve also added slices of fresh ginger to the poaching liquid for a gentle, spicy warmth. When serving, I love pairing the pears with a spoonful of mascarpone or thick kefir—the buttery softness of the fruit and cool creaminess of the dairy make a perfect match.

This is one of my favourite desserts to prepare the day before hosting—it removes the stress of last-minute baking, and the pears only improve with time. They also make a thoughtful offering to bring along to a friend’s dinner party. Just pop them into a sealed Kilner jar with their syrup, and they’ll travel beautifully. No fuss—just a quietly elegant way to end a meal.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

• 4 ripe but firm pears (such as Conference or Comice)
• 500 ml water
• 4 tablespoons of dried hibiscus flowers
• 150g sugar (I used coconut sugar)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2-3 strips of orange zest
• 1 star anise
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
• 1 large thumb sized piece of ginger cut into slices
• 1/2 a lemon
• Ice cream / mascarpone / thick greek yoghurt / kefir to serve

+ 1 large saucepan, knife, chopping board, sieve + a container if leaving the pears to soak in the infusion over night (a kilner jar works well for this).

METHOD:

1. Peel the pears leaving the stems on
2. Place the pears in a bowl of water with the lemon juice to stop them browning whilst you get everything else ready
3. Add the water, hibiscus petals, sugar, cinnamon stick, orange zest, star anise and ginger to the saucepan
4. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar
5. Simmer for 15 – 20 mins to let the flavours infuse
6. Add the pears to the saucepan making sure they are fully submerged in the hibiscus liquid
7. You can add a bit more water if needed to make sure the pears are fully covered
8. Bring the hibiscus mixture back to simmering and cook the pears gently for 30-40 mins or until tender and a knife easily can cut them (the time will vary depending on the size and ripeness of the pears).
9. Turn the pears over every so often to make sure they cook evenly and soak up the deep red hibiscus colour
10. When the pears are cooked, remove them from the poaching mixture and set them aside to cool
11. Simmer the liquid for a further few minutes so it thickens and becomes slightly syrupy
12. Strain the mixture to remove the ingredients
13. Add the vanilla extract if using
14. Serve the poached pears warm with a scoop of ice cream or alternatively, leave the hibiscus mixture to cool, pour into a ceramic or glass dish and place the pears back in the liquid to keep dyeing the pears a deeper purple colour (wait for the mixture to cool before returning the pears to the liquid so as not to cook the pears further and end up with a mushy mixture)
15. Place the pears in their liquid into the fridge and turn the pears over every now and then so the colour is even on both sides (tip: if you use a kilner jar for this step, the pears will nearly be fully submerged in the syrup and will not need turning round so often)

Notes & Tips

• The pears can be left in the fridge for up to 48 hours and served cold in their syrup, they are delicious with a spoonful of mascarpone or a thick greek yoghurt or kefir.
• For a stronger flavour, you can reduce the poaching liquid after removing the pears, turning it into a thicker syrup.
• These pears are also delicious sliced over porridge, pancakes, or even a simple almond cake (like this one here).
• Store leftovers in the poaching syrup in the fridge for up to 5 days.

(below) pears after cooking in the hibiscus infusion for 30 minutes

(below) pears after soaking in the hibiscus infusion for 24 hours